Lecture Bashing Bashed
By Scarlet Hannah
On the fourth of March, something significant changed on the UWA Campus. There had been whispers leading up to it, but in an email from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), it was confirmed that the practice of Lecture bashing will be severely restricted, effective immediately.
Lecture bashing is the process by which clubs promote their events, membership and elections at the start of lectures relevant to their clubs. The new policy curtails the rights of all guild-affiliated clubs except faculty societies, and PROSH, limiting what little is permitted to the promotion of recruitment, elections, and events. While historically lecture bashers have only required the permission of the lecturers in question, lecture bashers must now be approved by the UWA Director of Student Life. Lecture bashing will also be relegated to the end of lectures – as students leave or tune out of lecture recordings, severely diminishing its efficacy. It also makes it a challenge for lecture bashers to know when to arrive as end times are often inconsistent.
“Student announcements will not disrupt lectures or other learning and teaching activities, Semester One 2025”
– UWA Conduct and Integrity Page
The University points to ‘alternative means of communication which do not impinge on scheduled teaching and learning activities’, as making lecture bashing unnecessary, however the outreach of, and engagement with online activity or leafleted/postered promotion is often insufficient to render in-person messages redundant.
This policy undermines an important tradition on the UWA Campus that has long been an opportunity for Guild Clubs to promote themselves and maintain a lively and vibrant campus culture. Restricting this especially hurts smaller clubs, covering single subjects, without the rights and prestige of faculty societies.
‘A really sad day – taking away a core part of our student culture’
– Guild Pres Nikhita Talluri
The UWA Student Guild has expressed opposition to this policy, and in discussions in council on the 26th of February debated their response, with a formal letter sent to the University Executive, as well as other options for the future, such as an open letter clubs could cosign. Some Councillors expressed regret at the policy, finding it stifling of student activity and activism, Finn Penter remarking ‘Every student at this university, every club, has the right to give these announcements, to leaflet’. Guild President, Nikhita Talluri, called it ‘a really sad day – taking away a core part of our student culture’. Find attached below a statement provided by the President, regarding the Guild’s position. Most critically, it implores students to respond on the link below, to express their opinions.
This helps the Guild to demonstrate student sentiment to the University and continue to push for changes to the ban.
Click here to contribute your thoughts!
This policy is likely to substantially impact the operation of campus clubs in the short term, and if it remains it could substantially change the landscape and experience of campus culture for years to come, endangering the future of UWA’s 148 Clubs.
Statement from the UWA Student Guild:
The Guild strongly opposes the University’s new restrictions on student announcements in lectures. For years, these announcements have been vital for promoting events, sharing opportunities, and fostering the strong campus culture that makes UWA what it is. These restrictions make it harder for students to engage with their peers and sets an alarming precedent for limiting student expression. In a formal letter to the University Executive, the Guild made it clear that this policy harms student life, mental well-being, and UWA’s broader campus culture and reputation. Since the guild has been made aware of this, we have fought to protect student voices. As a result, we have secured limited allowances for PROSH and Faculty Society announcements, which we will now assist in administering. But this is not enough. There are 13 Faculty Societies and 148 Clubs. We will continue to pressure the University for a fairer system with fewer restrictions. We need your help. If you believe these restrictions negatively impact students, share your feedback at the link. Your input will strengthen our case as we continue to fight for a better outcome.